By Patricia L Johnson

History tells us that Crazy Horse and his warriors lost their last battle against the U.S. Cavalry on January 8, 1877 in Montana.

It was only six months earlier that Crazy Horse and Chief Sitting Bull used the combined forces of Sioux and Cheyenne to win a victory over Lieutenant Colonel George Custer in the Battle of Little Bighorn.

The fact that 200 of our soldiers were killed in the Battle of Little Bighorn enraged the American public and a winter campaign against Crazy Horse was launched by General Nelson Miles.

History states Crazy Horse and his warriors lost their last battle against the U.S. Cavalry on January 8, 1877, but is that an accurate representation of the events that took place? 

It appears the U.S. Calvary used all the fire power at their disposal while the Indians were reduced to using bows and arrows, yet Crazy Horse and his followers still managed to escape on January 8, 1877.

Crazy Horse eventually surrendered, four months later,  by leading approximately 1,100 Indians to the Red Cloud reservation in Nebraska on May 6, 1877.

The complete story may be read by clicking the following link on History.com 1877: Crazy Horse fights last battle

Will the big guns eventually win out in Iraq and the Iraqi’s surrender to the will of U.S. Coalition forces?

Part of the new strategy in Iraq is changing the commanders.

New Iraq Commanders Differ

"WASHINGTON – President Bush is installing two experienced commanders from vastly different backgrounds to carry out the new Iraq policy he will announce this week, substituting them for generals who had qualms about a fresh buildup of U.S. troops in the war zone."

Adm. William Fallon, a Navy veteran, will be replacing Gen. John Abizaid, U.S. commander in the Middle East. Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, an Iraq veteran, will be replacing Gen. George Casey, the chief general in Iraq.  Gen. Casey will then replace retiring Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker.  All appointments require Senate confirmation.

President Bush is expected to release his new strategy for Iraq any day.  Will changing the commanders and adding an additional 20-40,000 troops win the war in Iraq, or is this strategy simply a means to extend the war in Iraq?

Is it possible for a force of 150,000, 200,000, or even a quarter million troops to change the will of the people?  The one consistency in Iraq has been the fact the Iraqi people do not want us occupying their country. 

100 years from now will history books indicate May 1, 2003, the date President Bush claimed "Mission Accomplished" aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, as the date Saddam Hussein and his army lost the last battle against U.S. Coalition forces?  Or, will the history books be kinder to Saddam Hussein and the people of Iraq than they have been to Crazy Horse and his followers and tell it like it is – that the war in Iraq is still raging and will not begin to end until a plan to remove Coalition forces is put in place.